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LtE on X

Re “Government must get off X”

So must the Free Press. I know it’s a difficult time for journalism and local news and one wants to be in as many places as possible to reach readers, but at some point, ethics must outweigh reach. After all, isn’t having an ethics code one of the things that makes journalism different from the many influencers and bloggers slowly draining the readership from legacy news sources? If there are no principles, why should readers prioritize a newspaper over an online source with dubious sources.

Note the stand that PressProgress has taken (emphasis mine):

PressProgress aims to be widely accessible and available to the public in the online spaces where they consume information and engage in public debate, however, this must also be balanced by considerations about the governance and conduct of digital platforms themselves.

PressProgress maintains a presence on digital platforms where Canadians consume and debate news or current affairs and where the platforms demonstrate an ongoing commitment to: moderate abusive or harmful content; address significant security or privacy risks to users; not manipulate or deceptively suppress news and political content; and not actively promote false information or engage in conduct that undermines democratic values.

https://pressprogress.ca/journalistic-standards/#10

The best time to make a principled departure from X was a year ago when its owner’s efforts to undermine democracy were becoming clear. The next best time is now.


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A letter to the editor that didn't get printed. 

 

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